Estradiene compounds



Patented Oct. 5, 1954- UNITED STATES 2,691,028 ESTRADIENE coMroUNns Frank B. Colton, Chicago, Ill., assignor to G. .D. Searle & 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois No Drawing. Application May 25, 1953,

Serial No. 357,376

7 Claims. (Cl. 260-3975) The present invention relates to a new group of organic polycyclic compounds and more particularly, to the ethers of 3,17-dlhydroxy-13- methyl 1,4.6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro 151:1 cyclopentalalphenanthrenes, substituted in the 17-position by an ethynyl or vinyl radical. The compounds which constitute my invention can be represented by the following general structural formula wherein R is amember of the class consisting of lower alkyl and lower phenylalkyl radicals and n is either 1 or 3. Among the radicals which R can represent are methyl, ethyl, benzyl, straight and branch chained propyl, butyl, amyl, hexyl, phenethyl and phenylpropyl. The radical C2Hn is an ethynyl or a vinyl group.

The claimed compositions are valuable estrogenic agents. They also furnish drugs which are active in inhibiting allergic arteritis.

The claimed compounds are also valuable as intermediates in the synthesis of other medicinal agents. Cleavage of the ether linkage under mild acidic conditions yields the 17-ethynyl and 17-vinyl derivatives of 17-hydroxy-13-methyl- 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17 tetradecahydro- 15 1-cyclopenta[alphenanthrene 3 one. Convenient starting materials for these compounds are the ethers of 3-hydroxy-13-methyl-1,4,6,7,8, 9,11,12,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro 15g cyclopenta[alphenanthrene-17-one described in my copending application, Serial No. 286,611, filed May 7, 1952, now Patent No. 2,655,518, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part.

The following examples illustrate in detail some of the procedures used in the practice of my invention and the compounds prepared thereby. However, this invention is not to be construed as limited by the details set forth in spirit or in scope. It will be apparent to chemists skilled in the art, that many modifications in materials and methods can be practiced without departing from the invention. In these examples temperatures are given in degrees centigrade C.) and relative amounts of materials in parts by weight.

Example 1 A stirred solution of 10.6 parts of 3-methoxy- 13 methyl 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,l6,17 dodecahydro 15 1 I cyclopentaialphenanthren 17- one in 700 parts of anhydrous ether and '45 parts of dry toluene is cooled to C. and saturated with dry acetylene. While a slow stream of 2 acetylene is passed through the reaction mixture, a solution of 20 parts of potassium t-amylate in 135 parts of anhydrous t-pentanol is added in the course of 15 minutes with stirring. Passage of acetylen and stirring are continued for an additional 4 hours. After standing at 0 C. for 16 hours, the mixture is washed with aqueous ammonium chloride solution until the aqueous phase is neutral, then with water and saturated sodium chloride solution. The organic layer is dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to a residue of about 250 parts. 500 parts of petroleum ether are added and after standing at 0 C. for an hour, the mixture is filtered. The collected precipitate is recrystallized from ether. The resulting 3-methoxy-13-methyl-17-ethynyl- 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro 15gcyclopenta[alphenanthren-17-o1 melts at about 181-182 C. The molecular rotation as determined in a 1% chloroform solution is [a] An additional amount of this product can be obtained from the mother liquors by concentration under vacuum followed by addition of petroleum ether. This compound has the structural formula n 0 ':OH

CHtO

Example 2 To a refluxing solution of 10 parts of 3-methoxy l7 ethynyl 17 hydroxy 13 methyl- 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro 15H- cyclopentaialphenanthrene in 500 parts of metianol, 20 parts of glacial acetic acid are added. Refluxing is continued for 7 minutes, water is added to the point of turbidity and the reaction mixture is permitted to come to room temperature. The precipitate is collected on a filter and recrystallized from aqueous methanol. The 13 methyl l7 ethynyl 17 hydroxy 1,2,3,4, 6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17 tetradecahydro 15H- cyclopenta[alphenanthren-3-one thus obtained melts at about 169-470 C. A 1% chloroform solution shows an optical rotation [a] =+1O8. The infrared absorption spectrum shows maxima at 2.78, 3.1 and 5.83 microns.

Example 3 A solution of 25.3 parts of 3 -methoxy-13- methyl 17 ethynyl 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17- dodecahydro 15E cyclopentaialphenanthren- 17-01 in 1900 parts of pyridine and 1600 parts of dioxane is reduced in an atmosphere of hydrogen over 25 parts of. a catalyst, containing 5% palladium on calcium carbonate. The reaction is stopped on absorption of one molecule of hydrogen. The reaction mixture is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated to dryness. Upon repeated recrystallization from aqueous methanol the 3 methoxy 13 methyl 17- vinyl 1,4,6, 7,8,9,11,12,13,14,l6,17 dodecahydro 15g cyclopentaialphenanthren-l'l-ol is obtained in crystals melting at about 156-157" C. The molecular rotation of a 1% chloroform solution is [a] =-|-11'1. The infrared absorption spectrum shows .maxima at- 2.78, 5.90 and 6.01 microns. This compound has the structural formula Example 4 An anhydrous solution of 20 parts of 3-benzyloxy 13 methyl 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14, 16,17 dodecahydro- 15 I= I cyclopentaia]phenanthrenel'l-one in 1500 parts of ether and 100 parts of xylene is stirred and saturated with acetylene at a. temperature of to C. While a slow stream of acetylene is passed through the mixture, a solution of 40 parts of potassium tertiary butylate in 275 parts of anhydrous tertiar butaml is added in the course of 20 minutes. Stirring and passage of acetylene are continued for 5 hours, after which the reaction mixture is stored at 0 C. for 5 hours; It is then washed successively with dilute ammonium chloride solution, water and saturated sodium chloride solution. The organic solution is dried over anhydrous calcium sulfate, filtered and evaporated under vacuum to yield the 3-benzyloxy-13-methyl-17- ethynyl 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,1-2,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro-E-cyclopenta [a] phenanthren- 17-01. The infrared absorption spectrum of this compound shows maxima at 2.78, 3.00, 5.9 and 6.0 microns. This compound has the structural formula CoHr-CHaO Example 5 In an atmosphere of hydrogen a solution of 5 parts of 3-benzyloxy; 13 methyl 17 ethynyl- 1,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,l3,14,16,17 dodecahydro 15gcyclopenta[a]phenanthren-1'7-o1 in 400 parts of pyridine and 350 parts of. dioxane is reduced. over 5 parts of a 5% palladium-on-calcium carbonate catalyst. After absorption of one molecule of hydrogen, the hydrogenation is terminated and the reaction mixture is filtered. The filtrate is concentrated to dryness to yield the B-benzyloxy 13 methyl 17 vinyl 1,4,6,7,8 ,9,1l,12,13, 14,16,17 dodecahydro 151:1: cyclopentaialphenanthren-l37ol. The infrared absorption spectrum of this compound shows maxima at 2.78, 5.9 and 6.0 microns. The compound has the structural formula I claim; 1. A compound of the structural formula CsH-- a CH:

OH- H:

RO1-I wherein R is a member of the class consisting of lower alkyl and lower phenylalkyl radicals and n is an integer of the classconsisting of l and 3.

2. A 3 (lower alkoxy) 13 methyl 17- ethynyl' 1,,6,!7,8,9,11,l2,13,14,16,1?7 dodecahydno-lfig-cyclopentaialphenanthren-l'Z-ol of the structural formula CECE CH1 JO H (gig CHT i tn tm,

a 2 (5%: CH1 CH1, CH CH-CH| CH: G 1

6. 3 methoxy l3 methyl 17 vinyl 1,4,6, '7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro l5gcyclopentaia]phenanthren-li-ol,

7. 3 benzyloxy 13 methyl 1'7 vinyl 1,4,6, 7,8,9,1l,12,13,14,16,17 dodecahydro 1511- cyclopentaialphenanthren-lfl-ol.

No references cited. 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE STRUCTURAL FORMULA 